More Than Uncle Phil: 7 Other Roles That James Avery Played

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When different news outlets started reporting the death of 65-year-old James Avery on Wednesday, you probably had the same exact reaction that everyone else had: “Uncle Phil from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air died?!” Sadly, yes. Avery—who played Will Smith’s uncle in The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air from 1990 through 1996 and was once named one of TV Guide’s “50 Greatest TV Dads of All Time”—passed away earlier this week after complications following open-heart surgery. And his death caused a lot of people out there to dwell on the time that Avery spent working on the Fresh Prince sitcom.

However, it’s important to remember that Avery was more than just Uncle Phil. In addition to his role on that show, he also starred in a number of other movies and TV shows over the years. So as we continue to mourn his passing, we decided to take a look back at 7 movies and TV shows other than Fresh Prince of Bel-Air that featured James Avery. When you’re finished binge-watching old Fresh Prince episodes this weekend, check a few of these movies and TV shows, too. —Chris Yuscavage